Conventionally, in a coin handling machine such as a coin depositing and dispensing machine, a coin feeding device which can store coins and feed coins one by one is used.
This coin feeding device has a coin storing unit storing coins not aligned, a transporting belt which transports coins is provided on the bottom surface of the coin storing unit, and a separating roller is disposed above and opposed to the transporting direction of the transporting belt via a clearance in which coins pass in a single-layered state. This separating roller rotates in a direction opposite to the moving direction of the upper surface of the transporting belt to restrict coins fed by the transporting belt to be in a single-layered state.
In the coin feeding device having this structure, when feeding coins, coins may jam between the transporting belt and the separating roller. As causes of this coin jam, a plurality of coins enter and are stuck between the transporting belt and the separating roller while overlapping each other, coins are larger in diameter or thickness than coins to be handled, or are deformed coins, and in this case, the coins cannot pass through and are stuck between the transporting belt and the separating roller.
When a coin jam occurs, the coin jam may be eliminated by returning the coins causing the coin jam to the inside of the coin storing unit by rotating the transporting belt in a direction opposite to the transporting direction, however, if the coins are tightly stuck, the transporting belt cannot be rotated in the opposite direction. In this case, the coin jam is eliminated by pushing back the coins causing the coin jam to the inside of the coin storing unit by inserting an exclusive removing jig between the transporting belt and the separating roller from the feeding direction.
There is another structure in which coin jam hardly occurs by configuring the portion of the transporting belt opposed to the separating roller to withdraw downward when coins almost jam between the transporting belt and the separating roller (for example, refer to Patent document 1). However, in this structure, coin jam cannot be completely prevented, and when a coin jam occurs, the coin jam must be eliminated by using, for example, the exclusive removing jig as described above.
Patent document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-245506 (page 4, FIG. 3)